Proditor

by alightintheshadows

Summary:

"You can never be a hero, Denki."

 

 

 

Just when he had hope, just when he believed he could escape, Denki's dreams come crashing down.

He needs a hero....

...but he doesn't deserve help. He can't let them pay for his mistakes any longer.

Chapter 1

Denki stared at the books and papers scattered across his desk. He sighed before leaning forward onto his elbows and burying his face in his hands. His teacher’s earlier words echoed in his mind.

“Your test scores are much higher than last semester’s. You’ve always been a team player, but you’re more efficiently communicating and your ability to assess your situation is much quicker. I don’t believe you’ve even overused your quirk once this semester.” A corner of the man’s lips slid up into a smirk. “At least, not during class. The improvement you’ve shown over the course of the year is quite impressive, Kaminari.”

He grinned to himself, not forgetting the dread that had pooled in his stomach when he’d been asked to stay after homeroom.

And it’s all thanks to you, Aizawa-sensei.

He straightened up and shifted his focus back to the papers in front of him when a buzz cut through the quiet dorm room, and he gritted his teeth at the sound. He glared at the bottom drawer of his desk when the buzzing didn’t stop. There was a brief pause before it resumed. He yanked the drawer open, not surprised at the number flashing on the screen. He watched the phone vibrate, making no move to answer it.

He’s not usually this persistent.

When the buzzing finally ceased and didn’t start back up again, he grabbed the phone.

8 missed calls

12 new messages

Denki winced. His chest tightened when he remembered the message he’d received just two nights ago.

It’s time to come home.

He dropped the phone onto his desk and slouched back in his chair. He stared up at his ceiling before running a hand down his face.

Why now?

The phone started vibrating again, dancing across the wood and making a grating sound. He pinched the bridge of his nose. He racked his brain for any excuse he could think of.

It’ll look suspicious for me to drop out now, especially after Aizawa-sensei said I’ve improved so much. Yeah! He’ll have to agree with that. That will buy me some time until—

The phone buzzed yet again, but the flash on the screen caused him to lean forward in his chair. His eyebrows furrowed.

He’s never video called me before….

He picked up the phone, his throat drying instantly. He took a deep breath before grabbing his headphones. Once they were secure in his ears, he slid his thumb across the screen. A man with blond hair pulled back into a bun appeared on the screen, a brilliant smile flashing across his face.

“It’s about time you finally answered me—”

“What do you want, dad?” Denki snapped.

The corners of his father’s lips twitched the slightest bit before he cleared his throat.

“I’ve been trying to get a hold of you for the past couple days, Denki. I expected you to be home yesterday.”

I don’t want to go home.

“Sorry, we’ve been really busy here, and it’s not a good time for me to leave. I meant to call you….” he trailed off when the smile completely disappeared from the man’s face.

“You were aware our contract was coming to an end.”

Denki fought the urge to fidget in his seat.

“I thought—”

“No!” His father interrupted. “I told you it didn’t matter once the contract was up. You needed to come home the second I said so….” He tilted his head, and his eyes slowly widened. “You want to stay, don’t you?”

Denki cringed before summoning all the strength he had to shake his head.

“No, I just thought it would look suspicious if—” he started only to get interrupted again.

“You know you can’t be a hero, Denki. I thought you understood that after what you did to your mom.”

“That….” His voice cracked. He clenched his eyes shut and inhaled deeply through his nose. Ignoring the tightness in his chest, he opened his eyes back up and rapidly blinked to keep the water suddenly flooding them at bay. “Th-that was years ago. I’ve gotten better control of my quirk now.”

Before he could say anymore, his dad was all too ready to cut him off.

“You killed your mother. Nothing can take that back. I don’t know what those heroes might’ve told you, but you can’t—”

“I’m not coming home.”

Denki’s voice was firm. Anger flashed in his dad’s eyes.

“I’m sorry?”

“I said,” Denki reiterated, making sure his voice didn’t shake, “I’m not coming home.”

The man’s lips quirked into a grim line. He pinched the bridge of his nose before looking back up at the camera.

“I should’ve known this would happen. I thought you were old enough to handle this, but it looks like I was wrong.”

His dad tilted the phone. The sight paralyzed him.

His dad was in his bedroom, but all the furniture had been removed. Every poster he’d left behind had been taken down. Every comic book he didn’t bring with him had been packed away. Any evidence that he’d ever lived in that room was gone. A lone mattress was carelessly tossed in the corner, but what was on it made his heart freeze in his chest.

“Sensei….”

His homeroom teacher lied on the mattress. From the position of his arms, Denki could only guess they were bound behind his back. He could see the ropes winding around Shouta’s ankles. Several strands of dark hair covered Shouta’s face, but he could still see the silver tape covering his mouth. The hero didn’t move a muscle.

What the hell did dad do to Aizawa-sensei?

“Relax, Denki, he’s just unconscious,” his dad said, as if he’d read his mind. “He should be waking up any minute. I really didn’t want to bring him in to this, but I didn’t have a choice when you didn’t pick up the phone. I had to get your attention. I can’t say I feel too bad about it now. He’s the reason you thought you could be a hero, isn’t he?”

He clenched his teeth and took a deep breath through his nose, fighting the nausea quickly welling within him.

“You don’t just want me to come home…you’re leaving, aren’t you?” Denki nearly whispered, but it was loud enough for his dad to hear.

“We’re leaving. It’s time to move on, Denki. This was our last contract here. Most of the team has already left. The rest of us are just waiting on you.”

He took another deep breath.

“If you hurt him—”

The phone tilted back so his dad was in view.

“As long as you come straight home, you won’t have to worry about that. Hell, if you hurry and catch the train, there’s a slight chance we might be able to head out before he wakes up. He won’t have to know.”

He won’t have to know…he shouldn’t even be there…this shouldn’t be happening to him after everything I’ve done. I should’ve known better.

“But I don’t think the sedative will last much longer. If you would’ve answered earlier….”

It’s my fault….

His stomach churned violently. He managed to swallow despite the lump in his throat.

“I’ll come home right away.”

His dad’s brilliant smile returned.

“I knew you’d see reason. See you soon, Denki.”

The screen went black. Denki blinked, warm tears trailing down his cheek. He stood up and leaned heavily against the desk, his stomach protesting the movement.

Dad really took down Aizawa-sensei while he was out on patrol. He abducted my teacher just to get me to come home. If I hadn’t been stupid enough to think I could be a hero….

Why didn’t I just pick up the phone?

His stomach lurched and he bolted out of his room and into the bathroom down the hall. He barely had a second to notice he was alone before he staggered into one of the stalls. His throat burned as bile forced its way up. He didn’t bother fighting it. He gripped the sides of the toilet, and his arms shook as he tried to keep himself up. Once he’d emptied his stomach, he flushed the toilet and slouched down against the side of the stall.

Footsteps echoed in the bathroom as someone walked in.

“Kaminari?” Denki froze at the voice. The footsteps made their way across the tile. “Are you okay?”

“I’m f-fine, Shinsou!”

He forced as much enthusiasm into his voice as he could. Hitoshi stopped just in front of his stall.

“I could hear you throwing up from down the hall. You can’t be fine.”

He gripped the sides of the stall and clamored up to his feet. He took a deep breath, fighting the wave of nausea threatening to come back.

I hope no one else heard me. I need to get out of here. I can’t drag anyone else into this.

“I’m really fine. It’s just that stomach virus going around campus. I thought I heard a couple second years caught it.”

He fumbled with the lock and opened the stall door, nearly stumbling into Hitoshi. Firm hands quickly grabbed his arms and kept him upright.

“Do you want me to call Aizawa-sensei? I’m sure he could—”

“No!” Hitoshi jerked back at the forceful tone. “I-I’m sorry. I’m just exhausted. I’m sure I’ll be over this by tomorrow. Aizawa-sensei’s out on patrol anyway. There’s no need to bother him.”

He stalked past Hitoshi and out of the bathroom, and the other student didn’t hesitate to follow him into the hall.

“Kaminari—”

He cast a weak smile over his shoulder.

“I’ll probably feel better after some sleep. I’ll see you tomorrow, all right?”

Hitoshi stopped in the middle of the hall and watched him until he made it to his room. He gave a slight wave before opening his door. The second he was in his room and his door shut behind him, he leaned back against it and ran a hand through his sweat-soaked hair. He looked around his dorm. He’d only brought a few posters from home with him. His books were strewn about his desk and bed. His backpack hung on the back of his chair. He grinned to himself.

Who knew such a small room that I’ve only lived in for a few months could be considered home?

He trudged over to the desk. One of the phones lit up. He looked at the message.

Minizawa: Let me know if you need anything.

He gripped the phone so tight he thought it might break.

What if I…no. I can’t. I’ve done more than enough. I can’t drag anyone else into this.

I’m so sorry, Shinsou.

He set the phone down and stuffed the other one into his pocket. Making his way back to the door, he cracked it open and peeked out into the hall.

It was empty.

He looked around his room one last time before sneaking out into the hallway.

*break*

Shouta fought his way through the fog clouding his mind. Faint voices filtered in around him, but he couldn’t make out what they were saying. His head was pounding, and his limbs felt as though lead were flowing through his veins. He tried to shift but found that he couldn’t move his arms or legs. Slowly, the voices around him became clearer.

“I think he’s waking up. Do you want me to….” the voice trailed off.

“I can handle him. He can’t put up much of a fight. Go outside and wait for my son, Kaito.”

It took a couple tries for him to open his eyes. He blinked to clear his vision. A blond man loomed over him. He recognized the brilliant smile in an instant.

“Aizawa-sensei, this is my dad!”

The corner of his lip lifted up a tad as the man smiled at him, Denki’s own smile an exact mirror of his father’s.

“Denki’s told me so much about you, Aizawa-san. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you! I’m Kaminari Akashi. I wish we could be meeting under better circumstances.”

He automatically tried to back away from the man as he stepped closer but found his hands cuffed behind his back and his ankles bound together. A soft material crinkled beneath him. He glanced around at the nearly bare room and realized he was lying on a mattress in the corner.

What the hell is going on?

He tried to voice his question but only emitted a muffled grunt due to the strip of duct tape covering his mouth.

“Sorry,” Akashi said, crouching down until he was almost eye-level with the hero. “I didn’t want to drag you into this, but Denki was being a bit too stubborn. He should be here soon, though.”

His heart dropped into his stomach. Akashi tilted his head and chuckled. He reached out to grab his shoulder, but he tried to jerk out of the way and hit the wall, letting out a muffled grunt at the impact. Akashi merely shook his head.

“Now how exactly do you find yourself in the middle of everything? You seem like a good man, Aizawa-san. I genuinely feel bad that you’ve gotten caught in the crossfire so much over the last year, but I guess that’s what happens when you’re a hero.”

Understanding hit Shouta like a tidal wave.

Kaminari…there’s no way…this is some sort of mistake….

He racked his brain for an explanation. Any. His heart pounded in his chest.

I know Hizashi said there had to be a traitor, but none of the staff knew where the training camp was.

He can’t be….

As if he could read his mind, Akashi’s smile widened.

“You must be one hell of a teacher. Denki didn’t want to come home. He actually thought he had a shot at becoming a hero. Although, he is a teenager. You’ve taught them for a few years. It’s about this age they start rebelling against their parents, isn’t it?” His smile started to fade, and he rubbed the back of his neck. “I really didn’t want him to move into the dorms, but we were still under contract. I didn’t have much of a choice in the matter, especially with how insistent you were about the students moving in as soon as possible….”

Shouta mentally shook his head and ignored the rambling man before him. Paying no mind to the still lingering drowsiness, he struggled against the cuffs binding his wrists. The material bit into his flesh, and blood trickled out from under the cuffs. Akashi sighed and put a hand on his shoulder to tilt him away from the wall.

“There’s no point wasting your energy. You’re already bleeding, and you’ll only hurt yourself more. I can already tell you Denki won’t be happy about this.”

He was about to continue when another man walked into the room.

“Your son’s here.”

Akashi immediately straightened up. It was silent except for the faint footsteps just beyond the room that got louder with each passing second. Shouta ceased his struggling when his student finally entered. He blinked, as if that would make Denki disappear. The boy’s arms were crossed over his chest. His shoulders were slouched forward.

And Denki wasn’t smiling.

His dad approached him, but he never once took his eyes off his teacher; not even when Akashi embraced him, a gesture which he did not return.

“Hi, dad,” he mumbled.

The second his dad released him from the hug, he took a few steps closer to the mattress before practically collapsing to his knees before the captured hero. He started to reach for Shouta only to slowly retract his hand. His lips quirked into a grim line, and he tore his gaze away from his teacher while he took a deep breath. He looked back to Shouta and reached for the strip of duct tape.

“Denki—”

“We need to talk. He deserves an explanation more than anyone.”

Akashi huffed but ultimately exited the room and left the two alone.

“Make it quick,” he called from the hallway. “We don’t have much time.”

Despite the attempts to be gentle, Shouta’s skin stung when the tape was removed. His student winced, mumbling an apology under his breath. Shouta didn’t waste a moment.

“Kaminari, I know this has to be some sort of mistake. I….”

He was about to say more when he saw Denki shaking his head.

“I’m…I’m so sorry, Aizawa-sensei.” The teen buried his face in his hands, slightly muffling his words. “I never thought my dad would do something like this. I should’ve just answered his calls.”

“This is a huge misunderstanding. I can help you—”

Denki looked back up to meet Shouta’s gaze.

“After everything I’ve done, you’d still help me? You nearly died because of me, twice! I cut off the communication between the USJ and the rest of campus. I gave the villains my location at the training camp. Do you really want to help me?”

The teacher and student were silent for only a moment. Shouta’s heart was still rapidly beating in his chest.

He’s just a kid. He couldn’t have known what he was doing. His father had to coerce him into this. He must know I can help him, but I don’t have much time….

“You’re still one of my students.” Denki stiffened at the words. “It’s my job to help you. Does anyone know you’re here?”

“Sensei—”

“Does anyone know you’re here?” he repeated. Denki shook his head, and his hands clenched into fists and strained against the cuffs binding him. “My phone should be in my front right pocket. If it’s not, you could find it—"

“I can’t drag anyone else into this!” Denki snapped. Shouta clamped his jaw shut. His student’s shoulders rapidly rose and fell. Something glistened in Denki’s eyes, but the boy quickly rubbed them before a single tear could fall. “I’m sorry, Aizawa-sensei, but it’s bad enough you’re here. No one else needs to get involved in my mess. I’ve done enough to you…my fr-the other students…my mom. A villain like me doesn’t deserve help from heroes like you.”

A dagger may as well have drove itself through Shouta’s chest. Before he could open his mouth again, footsteps echoed down the hallway as they approached the room. Akashi entered only seconds later.

Not now. Please…I just need a little more time with him….

“We’re leaving, Denki. I’m sure someone will notice Eraser is missing and find him—”

Denki’s eyes flashed dangerously. He whipped his head toward his father.

“No! We’re not leaving him here. We’re taking him back to campus where he’ll be safe.”

Akashi’s jaw dropped, but Denki refused to back down. His father pinched the bridge of his nose before shaking his head. More footsteps approached the room. Akashi motioned another man closer and softly spoke with him. Shouta couldn’t begin to guess what they were saying. Suddenly, Akashi stalked toward him and Denki.

“Kaito’s got the car ready,” he said. “You’re helping me get him out to the car and will make sure he doesn’t struggle on the way. You’ll cooperate and not cause any trouble when we leave. Do I make myself clear?”

Denki clenched his jaw but nodded all the same. Shouta’s eyes widened. He looked back to his student. He barely noticed Akashi reaching for the tape nearly beyond his line of sight.

“Kaminari, none of this is your fault. You must understand that. You can-don’t touch me!”

His gaze was ripped away from Denki to the taller man looming over him and grabbing his shoulder. He lashed out with his bound legs, eliciting a grunt from Akashi when his own legs were swept out from under him, and he crashed to the ground. He glared at his son.

“What did I just say, Denki?” Akashi asked.

Denki clenched his hands into fists and took a deep breath as he shifted behind his teacher.

“I’m so sorry, sensei,” he said again.

Before Shouta could look over his shoulder and activate his quirk, electricity pulsed through him. He opened his mouth, but the scream got stuck in his throat. Even if he weren’t restrained, he couldn’t have moved any of his limbs. Soon enough, the pain slowly started to dissipate, and the room filled with the sound of his ragged breathing. His skin tingled, and he still couldn’t move. He groaned when two sets of hands turned him over onto his back. Denki looked down on him, grimacing at the sound of ripping tape. The boy gently brushed his hair out of his face before Akashi placed the tape over his mouth.

“His wrists are bleeding,” Denki mumbled. “I thought you said you wouldn’t hurt him.”

Akashi threw Shouta over his shoulder effortlessly. Shouta clenched his eyes shut when the room spun at the sudden movement. He didn’t even know if Akashi responded, doing his best to ward off the nausea plaguing him. Locking an arm around his knees, the villain carried him out of the room and through the house. He heard a door open, and the cold night air whipped around him a second later. He willed himself to move but barely shifted a centimeter against Akashi’s shoulder. The arm around his legs tightened at the small effort.

“I wouldn’t try moving too much if I were you,” Akashi chuckled. “I know all too well what it’s like to be on the receiving end of my son’s quirk. I’d consider you lucky, though. It looks like he won’t have to shock you again before we get to the school.”

A car door opened, and Shouta found himself sliding off Akashi’s shoulder and getting set on his feet. Before he could attempt to find his balance, a hand on the top of his head forced him to bend down while someone else pulled him into the car. Akashi swiftly scooped his legs up and pushed them inside, quickly shutting the car door afterward. As soon as Akashi got in, Kaito sped onto the road. Shouta would’ve slammed against the backseat if Denki hadn’t wrapped his arms around him to keep him in place.

The car was silent while they drove down the street. Something wet dropped into his hair. The arms around him pulled him even closer against Denki’s chest.

“I promise you’ll be safe,” he whispered into Shouta’s ear. “I won’t hurt you or the rest of the students anymore, and you won’t ever have to see me again.”

The tingling across his skin slowly subsided as they drove through the city.

If I’m remembering correctly, it took nearly an hour to drive out to Kaminari’s house. We should be getting close to the school by now. Maybe someone will—

“Hand me that case by your foot,” Akashi ordered.

Denki did as he was told. Within seconds, Akashi procured a syringe from the case. Shouta could’ve sworn he heard a growl from the back of Denki’s throat.

“Is that really necessary?”

“It’s the only reason I agreed to your request,” Akashi quipped right back. He met Shouta’s gaze and shot him a grim smile. “Sorry, Eraser. This will keep you out for a while, but we need biggest head start we can get.” He looked back to Denki. “Hold him still.”

Shouta’s eyes widened. Akashi took off his seatbelt, completely turned around, and leaned over the center console. The arm wrapped around his chest gripped him tighter. A hand grabbed his hair and tilted his head back to expose his neck. He used what little strength he had to twist out of the hold, but his student didn’t relent. He froze at the prick that came only seconds later. Numbness quickly spread throughout his body. His eyes started to droop shut, no matter how hard he fought to keep them open. Denki stroked a hand through his hair and leaned in closer to his ear.

“Don’t fight it. Just go to sleep.”

No…Kaminari….

His vision was shrouded in darkness as the car slowed down. The last thing he heard was Denki’s breath hitch.

“Goodbye, Aizawa-sensei.”

*break*

“Hurry up.”

The car rolled to a stop, and Denki didn’t hesitate to open the door behind him and grab Shouta under his arms. His dad jumped out of the passenger seat and caught Shouta’s legs before they could hit the ground. The two carried him to the gates. Akashi dropped Shouta’s legs, and his feet hit the ground with a thud. Denki clenched his teeth.

“Will you be more careful with him?” he hissed.

Akashi rolled his eyes and reached into Shouta’s utility belt, fishing out a single card. He swiped it at the card reader. The gates slowly opened. Denki dragged his teacher back onto campus and gently laid him down in the grass. He reached into Shouta’s right pocket and pulled out his phone. He nearly winced as he entered the passcode, remembering how he used to watch the man’s every move.

At least I can’t hurt him anymore.

He browsed through the contacts until he found Hitoshi’s number. He typed a quick message and set the phone on the ground. A pair of hands clamped down on his shoulders.

“Time to go, Denki.”

He simply nodded and followed his dad through the gates just as they were beginning to close. He slid into the backseat. The car sped off down the road, and Denki looked out the back window until the gates were out of sight.

Chapter 2

He stood with the other students and wrapped his arms around his stomach. Kyouka put a hand on his shoulder.

“Everything will be okay, Kaminari,” she said, the gentle tone surprising him. “The teachers took care of those villains. It looks like most of our classmates are….”

She trailed off when a group of medics exited the building carrying two stretchers. His blood froze when he saw the tattered remains of Thirteen’s space suit. His eyes drifted to the other stretcher. He barely caught a glimpse of a bloody face before Ectoplasm blocked his view.

“Thirteen and Eraser will be all right. Recovery Girl will take good care of them. We need to get you all back to campus.”

He didn’t resist as the rest of the staff herded them toward the bus. He didn’t hear his classmates recounting what just happened.

“What did I just do?” he whispered to himself.

“Denki!”

Someone shook him awake. He jolted in his seat and banged his head against the window. He rubbed his temple and finally opened his eyes before covering them from the onslaught of light. He blinked, removing his hands and staring out the window to see the sun starting its slow descent.

What time is it?

He straightened up when he realized he was now in the front seat of another car. He looked back out the window, watching the buildings whizz by as his dad drove down the highway.

“How long was I asleep?” he asked.

“Almost twelve hours,” Akashi answered. “You fell asleep before we even made it to Hamamatsu. We’ve had to make some detours and change cars. We’ll reach Nagoya in an hour.” He took his eyes off the road for the briefest moment to smile at Denki. “You know I haven’t had to carry you out of the car since you were in elementary school. I would’ve hated to wake you. I understand the last day has been difficult on you.”

No kidding.

Denki crossed his arms and slouched down in his seat.

“Where are we going?” he asked next.

“Osaka. Kaito will get there in a couple days. We’re staying in Nagoya for the night. Miku’s meeting us at the hotel and already has another car for us.”

Denki leaned his head against the window and closed his eyes, relishing the silence between them that followed.

Aizawa-sensei’s safe. The rest of the students are safe. They’ll never have to see me again.

The second he finally started to relax, Akashi was all too ready to interrupt him.

“We need to talk about your assignment.”

His shoulders stiffened. He bit the inside of his cheek and cast his eyes down to his lap.

“What about it?”

There was no missing the bitterness in his tone. Akashi chuckled and reached out to put a hand on his arm.

“I need to apologize. I know I was a bit harsh with you yesterday and I shouldn’t have been. We’ve always known being a hero was never an option for you, but I made you go to that school anyway. You did so well until the last month when we stopped hearing from you.”

“I had nothing to report,” Denki lied.

His dad’s fingers dug into his arm, and he could hear him inhaling deeply through his nose.

“Anyways, you did as I asked for the most part. Shigaraki was a bit apprehensive about the idea of sending you in, but he was pleased with your services. I knew you could handle it, but I’m still so proud of you, Denki!”

He shrugged out of Akashi’s grip.

“Then why didn’t he renew the contract?”

“Change of plans,” Akashi replied with a shrug. “Besides, it’s not my job to ask. I’ve been getting several requests in Osaka. You did such a good job with this assignment, so I think you’re ready to help us out some more! We’ve been asked to do some interrogations, and I think you’ve gotten enough control of your quirk you’ll be perfect to assist us.”

Denki’s stomach lurched at the words. He slouched further down in his seat. He resumed staring out the window, bringing up a hand to cover his mouth as if it would ward off the impending nausea. His teacher’s words echoed in his mind.

“You’re still my student. It’s my job to help you.”

I know I don’t deserve it…but maybe I should’ve let you….

*break*

Weights might as well have been hanging on Shouta’s eyelids. The noises around him had become clear some time ago, not that he could hear much besides someone breathing and the occasional footsteps; however, he couldn’t muster the strength to fully break through the haze and open his eyes. After what seemed to be an eternity, he cracked his eyes open only for a moment before they ultimately drooped shut. A creak followed only a second later.

“Sensei?”

Shinsou?

“Is he finally awake?”

Recovery Girl? That means I’m back on campus….

Kaminari!

He flung his eyes open to see Hitoshi and Chiyo looming over him. Ignoring the grogginess, he tried to sit up. His vision blurred, and he started tilting over the edge of the bed. Luckily, Hitoshi was there in an instant to catch him.

“Sensei, you shouldn’t be getting up!”

He didn’t have the strength to fight his student, reluctantly allowing Hitoshi to push him back down on the bed. He blinked and looked around the room, recognizing the school’s infirmary instantly. A blanket was draped over him a second later. Only then did he realize his teeth were chattering. Chiyo’s lips quirked into a grim line.

“Do you want to sit up?” she asked.

He managed a nod. Hitoshi put an arm under his back to lift him up while Chiyo adjusted a couple pillows behind him.

“I saw the injection mark in your neck. I don’t know what you were sedated with, but it wasn’t causing you any harm, so I thought it best to let it run its course. You’ll probably have chills and feel groggy and weak for a while, so you’re not leaving this infirmary tonight. Shinsou said you weren’t conscious when he found you.”

“And that was eighteen hours ago,” Hitoshi finished as he pulled the blanket back up to cover him.

Shouta’s heart dropped into his stomach. His head snapped toward the window to find the last remnants of dark orange light filtering into the infirmary.

Shit….

“I—” he nearly cringed at how raspy his voice was. “I need to speak to Nezu and the rest of the staff immediately.”

Hitoshi nodded and stood up.

“I’ll get Mic-sensei. He told me to come find him when you woke up anyway.”

Chiyo watched as Hitoshi left her office with a grin.

“He’s stayed by your side since he found you. Hizashi tried to convince him to go back to the dorms and get some rest, but he refused.” The grin suddenly faded, and she shook her head. “I can’t say I blame him. If I had been him, I would’ve been terrified to find you like he did.”

Before Shouta could open his mouth, Sekijirou and Hizashi walked in with Hitoshi trailing in right behind them. Hitoshi returned to his chair while the two teachers went straight to Shouta’s bedside.

“It’s good to see you awake, Sho’!” Hizashi said.

Sekijirou nodded.

“Ishiyama and Yagi are at the training grounds with both of our classes. Nezu should be here any minute now.”

Shouta looked to Hitoshi.

“Shinsou, I’m sorry, but you really shouldn’t be here—”

“Something’s wrong with Kaminari, isn’t there?” Shouta stared at his protégé, jaw slightly dropping. Hitoshi stood and joined the three teachers, reaching into his pocket. “I’m pretty sure you didn’t send this to me last night.”

He handed the phone to Shouta whose eyebrows rose at the message.

Aizawa: Left my cards at the dorms. Meet me at the gate. I’m sorry.

He shook his head and handed the phone back to Hitoshi.

“You’ve never forgotten your access cards before. I knew something wasn’t right, so I told Vlad-sensei and asked him to come with me.”

“And I’m glad you did,” Sekijirou continued. “We found you bound and unconscious at the front gate. Shinsou helped me get you here. I called Recovery Girl and alerted the rest of the staff, but we haven’t told any of your other students. We said you were sick and needed to rest, so Togata volunteered to watch Eri until you’re feeling well. I know they’re suspicious, though.”

Those damn kids….

Hitoshi rubbed the back of his neck, his eyebrows furrowing.

“I ran into Kaminari last night. He was throwing up in the bathroom. When I asked if he wanted me to call you to see if you could pick anything up for him, he panicked. He told me he just needed some rest and he’d be over it.”

“So that’s what we told your students,” Hizashi said. “I heard some of them talking before class. I guess no one can get a hold of him. Shinsou’s stayed here with you the entire day.”

Nemuri walked into the office, a grin splitting across her face at the sight of her conscious friend.

“Relax, Shouta, he didn’t miss much in class today. Besides, it’s not like he could’ve focused.”

Hitoshi shook his head.

“I got that text a couple hours after I saw Kaminari. He didn’t answer any of my calls. Mic-sensei stopped by his dorm during his free period, and he never answered. I knew it couldn’t be a coincidence, but I didn’t think anyone else except the teachers should know until we have some answers.”

“Considering your classmates, that was a smart decision, Shinsou!” Nezu complimented as he finally entered the room, Snipe and Ectoplasm following right behind him.

Everyone in the room was silent. Shouta looked at Hitoshi and his colleagues. He rubbed a hand down his face.

They have a right to know…they need to know….

It’s almost been a day, but maybe there’s still something—

“Kaminari Denki is the traitor, isn’t he?” Hizashi ventured grimly, breaking the silence.

“No!” Shouta immediately snapped, but he winced a second later at the harshness of his own voice. “Sorry, Hizashi. You were right the whole time. Someone within the school was giving out information to the League of Villains, but he was coerced into doing it.” He clenched his eyes shut and rubbed his temples. “I can’t recall much from last night’s patrol. Everything’s a bit hazy. I remember starting my route and feeling a prick in my shoulder. I didn’t even see who drugged me before I passed out.

“Kaminari Akashi was with me when I woke up. He assured me that he didn’t want to hurt me but said Kaminari was being too stubborn, and they needed to leave Musutafu. He never wanted Kaminari to move into the dorms but mentioned that he was still under some sort of contract.”

Nezu scratched his chin.

“I know a traitor was the only logical explanation for the villain attacks this past year, but I have to say I didn’t imagine a student would….”

None of us did.

Nezu shook himself out of his reverie before addressing Shouta again.

“So, you think Kaminari Akashi is some sort of contractor and made a deal with the League of Villains?”

Shouta nodded.

“Whatever contract they had must be up,” Nemuri said. “Sounds like he was in a rush to leave the city. He must’ve been desperate if he was willing to kidnap a pro hero to lure his son back home.”

“Did you see Kaminari?” Hizashi asked next.

Shouta nodded again.

“Kaminari never wanted to leave. He arrived and demanded that I be brought back to campus before they left the city. I tried to get him to call one of you. I tried…but he said a villain like him didn’t deserve our help.”

Hizashi cringed.

Snipe shifted his stance and crossed his arms.

“I don’t believe a kid like Kaminari could do something like this without being manipulated, but we have to consider he willingly—”

“No—” Shouta started only for Nezu to interrupt him.

“I don’t like it either, Aizawa, but we have to consider all possibilities. However, we can worry about that later. Right now, we need to focus on finding Kaminari and his father and getting more answers. Do you know….”

Nezu trailed off when Shouta’s phone buzzed on the table next to his bed. Hizashi handed it to him. Hope surged through his chest when he didn’t recognize the number.

Only the staff, my students, and their parents have my number.

It must be….

*break*

Denki let his breathing slowly even out while his dad shuffled around the room. He let his head loll to the side on the pillow. Suddenly, something tugged at his feet. It only took him a second to realize it was Akashi gently pulling his shoes off. A hand ran through his hair. There was a faint thud followed by a soft click. The light behind his eyelids was consumed by complete darkness. Akashi’s footsteps headed toward the bathroom, but he didn’t dare peek. Not even when he heard the door shut. It wasn’t until he heard water gushing in the shower that he opened one of his eyes.

He held his breath, as if his dad could sense that he was awake.

When the door didn’t open, he bolted up out of bed and reached for the nightstand. Phone and room key in hand, he made for the door. He quietly opened it, poking his head out and looking straight across the hall at the next room. When he couldn’t hear anything on the other side, he slowly closed it and tip-toed down the hallway. He snuck into the stairwell and leaned against the railing, wrapping his arms around himself.

“You did such a good job with this assignment, so I think you’re ready to help us out some more!”

He sprinted down the stairs, clutching the phone like a lifeline.

I can’t do this.

He paused when he reached the bottom, staring at the door in front of him. He wanted for the sounds of his own footsteps to fade. He couldn’t hear anything else in the stairwell except his own breathing.

Dad said Miku was staying right across from us, but there’s no way he wouldn’t have someone else watching the hotel. If someone sees me leave….

Without thinking he unlocked the phone and started typing in the number he knew by heart. He’d memorized within seconds of it being given to him. His thumb hovered over the screen.

I can’t bring Aizawa-sensei back into this.

He ran a hand through his hair, queasiness overwhelming him.

“We’ve been asked to do some interrogations, and I think you’ve gotten enough control of your quirk you’ll be perfect to assist us!”

I need his help.

He dialed the number. He held his breath while the phone rang.

This was a mistake….

However, he couldn’t get himself to hang up.

“Hello?” Shouta’s voice came from the other end.

Denki’s chest tightened. He opened his mouth, but no words came out. He tried swallow, but his throat was desert dry.

“Kaminari?”

His eyes watered at the softness in Shouta’s tone. He clenched them shut, imagining that strong hand grabbing his shoulder. He imagined the fondness in Shouta’s eyes when he listened to him and gave him encouraging advice.

“Kaminari, listen to me—”

Bang!

Denki whipped his head back toward the staircase. Thundering footsteps trampled down the stairs.

“He couldn’t have gotten far. Kougami didn’t see him leave the hotel.”

“Kaminari—”

“Please help me,” he whispered.

He hung up the phone and shoved it deep into his pocket before bursting through the door. He veered to the left and sprinted down the nearly empty street, ignoring the stinging in his bare feet. He heard the door slam against the side of the building as someone came after him. He risked a brief glance at the power lines above him. Not daring to look back, he lifted his hand, electricity shooting out of his fingers and dancing across the power lines.

The streetlights and surrounding buildings went dark.

It only took a few seconds for people to spill out onto the sidewalk. He pushed himself to run harder. His chest burned. He flinched and covered his eyes when a couple of the buildings around him lit back up. Slowing down and weaving through the confused civilians, he fought the urge to look back. He could barely hear a couple sets of rapidly approaching footsteps within the din of the street. Another building lit back up, and he saw his chance.

He dashed down an alley next to it and picked up his pace. He reached the end, jumping and pushing off the walls of the two buildings until made it over the other side of the wall and into another alley. Sweat dripped down his face as he kept running. He almost made it to the street when a car screeched to a stop in front of the alley entrance. He spun around on his heel, but two men were already clamoring over the wall.

Before he could begin to think of a way out, he was grabbed by the back of his shirt and spun around to face his dad. It took every ounce of strength he had not to cringe back from the man towering over him. Within seconds, four of his dad’s employees surrounded them. He couldn’t meet Akashi’s gaze. He could only stare at the rapid rise and fall of his chest.

“Where’s the phone?” Akashi demanded.

“I don’t know what you’re—”

Denki was cut off when one of the men slammed him back against the building to his left, knocking the air out of him. He coughed and tried to catch his breath. More hands latched on to him and kept him from crashing to the ground. Sparks crackled to life in his hands, but Akashi gripped his wrists and they died at the contact.

“Don’t even think about it,” his dad continued, his voice eerily calm. He inhaled deeply through his nose, and slowly let out the breath. “Your phone wasn’t on the nightstand. Where is it, and who did you call?”

Wordlessly, he yanked one of his wrists out of Akashi’s hold. Akashi tightened his grip until he realized his son was trying to reach for his pocket. Denki fished his phone out and slammed it into Akashi’s hand. It only took a few seconds for the small screen to illuminate Akashi’s face, and Denki could see a vein throbbing at his temple.

“You called Eraser, didn’t you?”

He swallowed and nodded. Akashi threw the phone on the ground and stepped on it. The screen shattered. He clenched his eyes shut until his dad grabbed him by his elbow.

“Have Kaito trail anyone leaving the school,” Akashi ordered, dragging him toward the car. “Kougami, you’re with me. We’re heading to Osaka. Tell Miku to take one of the cars and head to Tokyo. She can meet back up with us next week.”

Denki didn’t fight as his dad flung the back door of the car open, shoved him inside, and slid in right beside him. Kougami jumped in the front seat and pulled out onto the street. The sidewalks were filled with civilians trying to get over to the next block and see what caused the power outage. Not even one of them paid the car any mind even though they were one of the few cars on the street. Denki crossed his arms and stared out the window. Akashi sighed.

“I really didn’t think you’d call Eraser, Denki. I know it’s been a long couple days, but you do remember what I was forced to do to him, don’t you? Will he have to suffer more for your actions?”

Denki didn’t look at his dad. He kept his gaze straight out the window. He couldn’t stand the thought of his dad seeing the tear running down his cheek.

Notes:

Well, there's chapter two! As always, feel free to let me know what you think! Until next time!

Chapter 3

Shouta rolled over and shivered, clutching the blankets tighter around him.

“Is he finally waking up again?” Chiyo asked.

A hand stroked through his hair.

“I hope not,” Nemuri mumbled right beside him. “He won’t be happy.”

Shouta’s brow furrowed for a second when everything came flooding back to him.

Kaminari!

He rolled over onto his back and bolted upright. He winced when the room spun around him. Nemuri instantly planted two firm hands on his shoulders to push him back down on the bed.

“Shouta, please calm down.”

“I have to find Kaminari,” he declared.

“We are—”

“I need to be there—”

“Like hell you do, Aizawa!” Chiyo snapped. “I warned you that I don’t know what sedative you were given, but it was powerful. You’re not in any position to go anywhere. It’s going to be a couple days before you’ll have your strength back. Are you already forgetting that you tried to get up after Kaminari called you and you collapsed? You would’ve hit the floor if Shinsou hadn’t caught you, and you tried to get up again!”

Shouta blinked and stared at Chiyo before shifting his gaze back to Nemuri.

“I thought we were over the days I had to use my quirk on you to get you to rest.”

His hands clenched the blanket.

“How long was I out?” he asked.

“Only an hour,” Nemuri said, sitting down beside him on the bed. “Maijima had just traced Kaminari’s phone to Nagoya when it disappeared. Our best guess was someone either turned off or destroyed it. We’ve updated Detective Tsukauchi on the situation. He and Chief Tsuragamae are working with the Nagoya police to shut down the train stations and set up check points and barricades along the streets and highways. They’re calling every available hero in the city and getting them up to speed. No one will be able to leave the city, until we track down Kaminari.”

Chiyo spoke up next.

“There was one train left scheduled to leave for Nagoya that we all decided should run as scheduled. Kan and Yamada are on it and are going to help. We thought it best if Kaminari saw some familiar heroes if he and his dad are caught.”

Shouta’s eyes wandered to the empty chairs.

“Where’s Shinsou?”

Nemuri shared a look with Chiyo before taking a deep breath.

“He’s with Hizashi and Kan.”

He sat right back up and braced his hands behind him to keep him there.

“What the hell? How could any of you let him—” he started, only for Nemuri to cut him off.

“He volunteered, Shouta! None of us know what’s going on with Kaminari. He didn’t feel like he could call another hero when you were captured. He didn’t feel like he could tell his classmates what happened. He didn’t feel like he could stay on campus when they left you here, but something had to change for him to finally call for help. Hizashi and Kan might be able to get through to him, but Shinsou thought a friend might have a better chance. That aside, his quirk would be incredibly useful if Kaminari changed his mind again, and Nezu completely agreed on the grounds that either Hizashi or Kan stay with him at all times.”

Shouta’s arms started shaking, but he kept himself upright. The rage coursing through his veins gave him the strength.

“That doesn’t matter. He never should’ve been allowed to leave campus right now, accompanied by pro heroes or not.”

Nemuri leaned down so she was eye-level with him.

“Do you think Hizashi would let anything happen to Shinsou?” Shouta snapped his mouth shut, but he refused to break her gaze. “Do you think he would let anything happen to any of your students? Would Kan?”

Do you have no faith in your friends and colleagues?

She didn’t need to ask it, and yet it punched Shouta right in the gut.

“Of course not, but—”

“The Nagoya police will probably find Kaminari before they even get there. Having Shinsou there will encourage him to cooperate. At the very least, he could stop him from trying to run away.”

Before Shouta could say anything else, Chiyo’s phone rang. She picked it up instantly and immediately started grumbling under her breath.

“A couple of your students got themselves hurt. We can’t have them coming here and asking questions. You better not move a muscle until I get back!”

Chiyo jumped off her chair and left the infirmary. The second she was out of sight, Shouta swung his legs over the side of the bed. He steadied himself. When the room didn’t spin around him, he eased himself to his feet.

“Aizawa Shouta, you can’t be serious!”

He heard fabric ripping, so he whipped around and activated his quirk. He had to grab ahold of the bed, but he stayed on his feet. The pink mist dissipated the second his eyes landed on Nemuri.

“You said there was one train left scheduled to go to Nagoya. It hasn’t left yet, has it?”

Nemuri clenched her jaw when he grabbed the capture scarf from the bedframe.

“You’re not going. I can see your legs shaking from here.”

“Then come with me,” he said, inching his way to the door while keeping his eyes on his friend.

“Shouta—”

“Kaminari called me.”

He blinked and activated his quirk again. With every step he took closer to the door, Nemuri followed.

“You shouldn’t be straining yourself like this—”

“Nemuri, please.”

She stopped, not taking her eyes away from his own. The burning eventually forced Shouta to blink. He opened his eyes right back up to find that Nemuri hadn’t activated her quirk. Instead, she was pinching the bridge of her nose and her eyebrows were scrunched together.

Please, Nemuri….

*break*

“I’m sorry to bother you—”

Sekijirou putting a hand up brought his words to an instant halt. He nodded toward his phone, at the same time picking up their pace as they walked across campus.

“Let me see the message again,” he ordered. He didn’t hesitate to unlock his phone and hand it over to the teacher. Not breaking his stride, Sekijirou read the message again and shook his head. “That’s not like Eraser. He wouldn’t forget something as important as his access cards.”

The gates were in sight. He squinted when he saw something black just within the light of one of the many lamps lining the sidewalks. The closer they got, the clearer he could see it. He suddenly stopped, causing Sekijirou to bump into him.

“Sensei….” He muttered.

Shouta was curled up on his side, unmoving. His capture weapon was thrown carelessly to the ground next to him. He sprinted toward the gates.

“Shinsou!” Sekijirou called after him, but he didn’t pay the other teacher any mind. He skidded to a stop on his knees next to the unconscious hero. He turned Shouta over, and his stomach dropped when he saw Shouta’s eyes were closed. Sekijirou joined him a second later and put his fingers against Shouta’s neck. “His pulse is slow but steady.” He removed the tape from Shouta’s mouth and gently patted the side of his face. “Eraser? Eraser, can you hear me?”

Shouta’s eyes didn’t open. Sekijirou swiftly untied his legs before turning him back on his side and swearing at the sight of the cuffs and blood dribbling down Shouta’s wrists.

“Do you want me to call Recovery Girl?” he asked.

Sekijirou nodded.

“I don’t know why he’s unconscious, but she’ll take care of him.” He slid his arms under Shouta’s back and legs. “Follow me to the infirmary.”

Hitoshi leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees, mentally shaking away his thoughts. His leg had been bouncing since the second he sat down, and there was no sign it would stop anytime soon. A hand patted him on his back.

“Relax while you can, listener. We’ll be there sooner than you think.”

He looked to Hizashi and blinked. It still startled him to see the voice hero with his hair down. The scarf wrapped around his neck hid most of his directional speaker. Since Hizashi was wearing his civilian glasses, Hitoshi never would’ve guessed he was sitting next to Present Mic if he hadn’t known better.

But I suppose that’s the point. No one would recognize Present Mic like this. If we want to catch up to Kaminari, this is our best shot.

Sekijirou sat across from them in the nearly empty train car with his eyes glued to his phone. His fingers rapidly tapped at the screen. He glanced up at them before his eyes going right back down to his phone.

“There’s no sign of him yet. The checkpoints are causing a bit of a traffic jam on the highways. Heroes are patrolling the streets. I hope Akashi doesn’t figure out what’s going on.”

“Me neither,” Hizashi breathed, running a hand through his hair. “If he’s a contractor like we think, he probably won’t want to draw attention to himself or hurt any other civilians, but I would’ve never guessed he’d do that to Sho….” Hitoshi tensed and could sense Hizashi’s eyes lingering on him. “I mean we just have to prepare for anything.”

Sekijirou opened his mouth only to completely drop his jaw as he stared out the window across from him. Both Hizashi and Hitoshi looked over their shoulders, and Hitoshi’s eyes widened at the sight of Shouta sprinting toward their car. Nemuri was right on his heels. Shouta stumbled onto the train, having to grab onto one of the poles for support. Nemuri was at his side in an instant and allowed him to lean against her. Hitoshi stood up at the same time as Hizashi, but he froze when he got a look of the voice hero’s face. Cold green eyes glared at Shouta and Nemuri.

What the hell is Aizawa-sensei doing here? He should be back in the infirmary!

Hitoshi nearly fell over when the train started moving, but Sekijirou and Hizashi braced him before the latter stormed over to the two newcomers. He took most of Shouta’s weight from Nemuri and half-dragged Shouta to join them. He gripped his friend’s shoulders and sat him down in the seat. Hitoshi didn’t hesitate to sit back down next to his mentor, his hands hovering over Shouta.

“Sensei, are you….”

He trailed off when he got a better look at Shouta. His forehead was drenched in sweat, and his entire body was shaking.

Recovery Girl said it would probably take a couple days for him to completely get over that sedative. How the hell did he even have the energy to get here?

“What the hell, Eraser?”

Hitoshi stiffened at the razor-sharp tone coming from the normally jovial voice hero.

“Mic, listen—"

“No. You should be back on campus recovering. And you—” He whirled around to face Nemuri. “—should be ashamed of yourself. We trusted you to watch out for him. He’s in no position to put up a fight, so why did you bring him here?”

“I need to be there—”

Hizashi whipped right back around to Shouta.

“You need to be in the infirmary. What the hell were you two thinking? You aren’t in any condition to help Kaminari. Now we’ll have to waste resources covering your ass. What kind of example do you think you’re setting for Shinsou?”

Shouta had just opened his mouth when Nemuri cut in.

“I’m dragging him straight to the police station,” she said, causing Hizashi’s eyebrows to raise. “He did have a point. Kaminari called him. We don’t know what he’s going through right now, but he obviously trusted Eraser enough to call him for help. I thought it was in our best interest to have both him and Shinsou there. Kaminari will probably be more comfortable and cooperative if we find him.”

“When,” Shouta corrected.

Hizashi looked between his two friends. Mumbling under his breath, he took off his jacket and practically threw it at Shouta. Before Shouta could protest or attempt to give it back, Hizashi plopped down next to Sekijirou.

“You’re shivering. You need it more than I do.” Hitoshi’s eyes nearly bulged out of his skull when Shouta clamped his mouth shut and silently put an arm through a jacket sleeve, but he understood when he saw the scowl still present on Hizashi’s face. He nearly cringed when Hizashi met his gaze. “Your instructions haven’t changed, Shinsou. You’re still with Vlad and I once we get to Nagoya. An officer will be there to brief us and tell us where to go.”

He let out the breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding at the significantly softer tone and nodded. Turning to Shouta, he was greeted with the sight of the man struggling to get his other arm through the jacket sleeve.

It really took everything he had to get to the train station. What the hell did Kaminari’s dad give him?

He didn’t say a word while he helped Shouta maneuver his arm through the sleeve. Shouta slumped back against his seat a second later. His chest heaved, but he turned to look at Hitoshi. It looked like it was taking every bit of Shouta’s energy to keep his eyes open.

“I’m sorry, Shinsou. I shouldn’t have—”

“We can talk later,” he interrupted. “Get some rest. You probably won’t get to for a while once we find Kaminari.”

Unable to fight it off any longer, Shouta’s eyes fluttered shut. Nemuri settled down next to him and wrapped an arm around his shoulders so he was leaning against her. It only took a minute for his breathing to even out.

Mic-sensei might be right. You’re being a reckless example…but that might be what Kaminari needs right now….

*break*

He peeked around the wall. Three police officers stood with his dad at the front door. Their voices were low. His dad started shaking and would’ve fallen to his knees if one of the officers hadn’t caught and steadied him. He came out from his hiding spot.

“Daddy?” Wide eyes stared at him. “Where’s mom?”

His dad whispered something to the officers before meeting him in the middle of their entryway. He crouched down. Tears streamed down his cheeks.

“Oh, Denki….”

“Don’t you have anything to say for yourself?”

Denki’s shoulders tensed. He clenched his jaw and finally tore his gaze away from the window. Akashi leaned back in his seat, his arms crossed and eyes closed. The disappointment had been radiating from his dad since the second he was shoved in the car. The traffic in the city at the late hour didn’t quell Akashi’s anger in the slightest. He pressed himself harder against the door, as if that would put more space between him and his dad.

“No.”

“I can’t be angry at anyone but myself, I suppose. I thought I raised you better.” Akashi looked out the window. “Although, I may have just underestimated Eraserhead. His record absolutely precedes him as a hero, but from the information you told me on the first day of classes, I never thought he would have that much of an influence on you as your teacher.”

The car inched forward. Kougami rolled down the window and leaned out.

“It looks like the police have some sort of checkpoint up ahead,” he updated. “They’re stopping every car.”

Akashi sighed.

“Don’t do anything rash. There’s a slight chance it’s a coincidence. It wouldn’t surprise me if they’ve been there all night with how long traffic has been backed up.”

The car inched forward again.

“Did Kaito ever call?”

As if on cue, Akashi’s phone rang. His eyebrows rose when he saw the screen.

“Suzuki, what’s going—Eraser’s here?” Denki perked up. His dad was silent while he listened, but his eyes grew colder with each passing second. He shifted his gaze to Denki, not speaking until his son looked him in the eye. “Go after him and try to take him alive. Meet us in Osaka when you can.”

“No!” Denki screamed as he lunged for the phone, but Akashi had already hung up.

He shoved his son off him and back against the car door. Denki’s head collided with the window. Denki blinked and held the back of his head as if that would stop the dizziness.

“You made your choice, Denki. I probably should’ve brought Eraser with us, but I guess it’s not too late. He’ll ensure your cooperation until you come back to your senses. Besides, it couldn’t hurt to have Eraser. I know he’s been giving some of our clients hell, so they’ll be happy he’s out of the picture. I’m sure after a lot of persuasion, we could gain his cooperation eventually.”

Denki’s stomach lurched. He could nearly sense his face turning green.

“You…you can’t be serious—”

“Don’t say another word. Suzuki said a couple more teachers from Yuuei are here, too. I won’t hesitate to have them killed on sight if you put one toe out of line.”

Denki wrapped his arms around his stomach and leaned against the door. The coolness of the window chilled his now-sweaty forehead.

What have I done? What the hell have I done? Why did I call Aizawa-sensei?

The car moved again. An officer stopped the car in front of them. Denki’s heart pounded in his chest. The officer backed away, motioned the car ahead of them to leave, and waved them forward. Denki clenched the fabric of his pants.

“Don’t say a damn word,” Akashi warned again.

Kougami grinned at the officer.

“Looks like a busy night for you all.”

“Sorry about this,” the officer apologized, shining the flashlight into the car. “We had a bomb threat across town. The villain fled the scene, and we need to hunt him down. Do you mind rolling down the back windows?”

Kougami glanced the rearview mirror. Akashi nodded, so he did as he was asked. The officer moved to the back of the car and shined his flashlight into the backseat. The light lingered on Denki. The officer’s eyes slightly widened. He reached for the radio on his shoulder.

“Go!” Akashi ordered.

Kougami slammed the gas pedal. Another officer rand in front of the car and tried to wave them down. Kougami didn’t bother to swerve out of the way. To Denki’s horror, the officer rolled over the hood and up to the top of the car. The thud overhead made his hands fly to his mouth. He couldn’t get himself to look out the back window.

More officers were spread out along the street, directing the still slow-moving traffic. They dove out of the way as Kougami weaved in an out of the cars. He pulled up onto the sidewalk, narrowly avoiding the lampposts. He didn’t get back onto the road until he found an open stretch of road. Denki’s hair whipped with the air rushing around him. It was so loud he could barely hear the voice over the roaring wind.

“Kaminari!”

No way….

Akashi’s eyebrows furrowed. He leaned across Denki to look out his window. Denki’s heart now thundered in his chest. He turned his head to see a black blur swinging from lamppost to lamppost. He gripped the edge of the window when he saw the purple at the top of that blur.

Shinsou?

Notes:

Well, I finally managed to update! I hope you all enjoyed it! Until next time!

Chapter 4

Notes:

I'm aware of current manga events. I'm aware of who the traitor is. I'm ignoring that and finishing my fic.

Hitoshi jumped out of his seat the second the train rolled to a stop. Hizashi put a hand on his back and guided him off the train with Sekijirou on their heels. He glanced over his shoulder to see Nemuri helping Shouta stand up. A couple of officers were waiting for them on the platform and didn’t waste any time, immediately falling into step next to the trio.

“There’s a car outside to take Midnight and Eraserhead to the police station,” one of them started. “I think we’ve got a license plate for Kaminari Akashi. A block lost power in the middle of downtown. We checked the security cameras of the surrounding buildings and caught some activity in an alley between Norinchukin Bank and Mizuho Financial Group.”

He held a phone out to them. Hizashi held it amongst the three, never once breaking his stride. The footage was grainy, but there was no mistaking Denki running into the alley. A car pulled into view at the edge of the screen, and several men rushed toward him. Hitoshi’s heart sunk when Denki got slammed into the wall and forced into the car. He could faintly hear Hizashi and Sekijrou speaking to the officers, but he couldn’t take his eyes off the phone screen. He barely even registered the drop in temperature when they exited the train station.

Kaminari….

“Shinsou.”

Hitoshi looked over his shoulder to see Shouta leaning against a police car while Nemuri spoke to another officer.

“I’ll wait for you,” Hizashi said, slowing to a stop.

Hitoshi nodded and approached Shouta. It was impossible to miss the amount of effort it took for Shouta to lift his capture weapon over his head. He didn’t hesitate to wind it around his student’s shoulders. Hitoshi’s eyes widened. He unconsciously gripped the material.

“Are you sure—”

“I’ve seen you in training. You’re more than ready.” He turned Hitoshi around gave him a gentle shove back toward Hizashi. “Don’t do anything reckless. Go find your classmate.”

Sparing one last glance at Shouta while he ran toward Hizashi, Hitoshi nodded. Hizashi matched his pace so they could catch up to Sekijirou. They’d just made it when several yells erupted a couple blocks ahead of them followed by screeching tires. One of the officers paled.

“What the hell?”

“Looks like your men found Akashi,” Hizashi said, breaking out right back into a sprint.

Hitoshi was right on his heels but found himself falling quickly behind. He glanced up, his heart soaring when he saw the streetlights lining the road as far as he could see. Never breaking his stride, he threw the capture weapon toward one of the poles with practiced ease. He swung through the air, unraveling one end of the scarf before throwing it to the next streetlight. He flew right past Hizashi and thought he heard the hero swearing, but he couldn’t get himself to care once he caught sight of the destroyed barricade and a lone car speeding down the street.

I don’t have much time.

He forced himself to move faster, risking only brief glanced upward to make sure the capture weapon wrapped around his targets. His arms started to burn, but he was gaining on the car. With a couple more swings, he was close enough to see the back window was down.

“Kaminari!”

A blond head poked out of the car.

“What the hell are you doing?” Denki yelled. A hand grabbed the top of Denki’s head and pulled him away. Hitoshi could only catch brief glimpses of a scuffle through the back window before Denki leaned back out. His chest was heaving. “You shouldn’t be here!”

Hitoshi propelled himself even faster through the air. He swung further outward with every swing, getting him closer to the car.

“Grab my hand!” he ordered.

Denki looked behind him. He bit his lip and started to shake his head. Hitoshi clenched his teeth together.

Kaminari…what the hell is going on with you…did you really think we wouldn’t help you?

He took a deep breath.

“CHARGEBOLT!”

Something flickered in Denki’s eyes.

Yes. Come on, Kaminari!

Denki shook his head.

“Why….”

Hitoshi barely heard it over the wind rushing around him. Maintaining his rhythm, he swung further to the left and held out his hand. He smiled.

“Because you’re totally a future hero!”

Denki’s shoulders sagged, but his mouth set into a determined line.

“Don’t you dare!” someone within the car yelled, but Denki paid the warning no mind.

Gripping the window, he pushed himself further out of the car and grabbed Hitoshi’s hand. With all the strength he could summon, Hitoshi yanked Denki away from the car and wrapped both arms around him, practically crushing his friend against his chest. He barely maintained his hold on the capture weapon, but that didn’t stop his hand from burning when the scarf suddenly pulled taut. He lost his grip. The two hurtled toward the side of a building.

Shit!

Hitoshi twisted just in time for his back to hit the wall.

Crack.

Fire spread throughout his ribs. He and Denki crashed to the ground.

“Shinsou!” Denki squirmed out of his hold and grabbed his face. His breathing picked up. “I’m s-so sorry! Dammit why did I…I-I shouldn’t have—”

He suddenly pushed himself away and stood. Ignoring the agony, Hitoshi lurched forward and wrapped his arms around his legs.

“Don’t even think about it.”

“Kaminari!”

They both perked up at the voice. Denki’s eyes widened.

“Mic-sensei?”

Hizashi sprinted toward them with his phone in his hand. He grabbed Denki’s arm and held out his phone.

“I’ve got him here, Eraser.”

Denki’s legs stiffened in his grip.

“Kaminari?” Denki’s breath hitched at Shouta’s voice. “Please let us help you.”

“But I—”

“I don’t care. I know you didn’t want to follow your dad’s orders. I know you’re not a villain, but I don’t know everything. We can’t help you if you don’t let us. You deserve help, Kaminari.”

The legs in Hitoshi’s grip started to shake. Denki leaned in closer to Hizashi until he collapsed against the hero.

“Okay.”

Hitoshi barely heard the voice. He looked up to see Hizashi clutching Denki against his chest, tears now streaming down his cheeks.

“I’m at the police station. Do you need me to come to you—”

“No!” Denki all but screamed. “Th-they know you’re here. My dad was heading to Osaka and ordered his men to take you with us. P-please stay where you’ll be safe.”

Hizashi took the phone off speaker and pressed it to his ear. Hitoshi couldn’t catch what he mumbled into the phone. His eyes widened when Sekijirou ran straight for them.

“We’ve got Akashi. He’s unconscious, but we’ll have a medic look over him as soon as he wakes up then we’ll start questioning.” The shaking in Denki’s legs suddenly stopped. “Kaminari, I’m sorry but we need to take you to the police station.”

Denki nodded, and Hizashi hung up the phone.

“I’ll take him. We need as many officers and heroes that we can spare to get there. Akashi’s associates are targeting Eraser. Take Shinsou to a medic. I saw that fall and he’s probably got some broken ribs.”

Hitoshi relinquished his hold on Denki’s legs when Hizashi guided him along the sidewalk to the approaching officers. Sekijirou was kneeling at his side a second later, bracing an arm underneath his back to sit him up. He winced at the movement.

“Are you having trouble breathing?” Sekijirou asked.

Hitoshi shook his head.

“Just…hurts….” he managed to get out between clenched teeth.

Sekijirou took his hands and helped him to his feet.

“We’ll have a medic check you out just to be safe, but Recovery Girl should be able to take care of you as soon as we get back to campus.”

He wrapped an arm around his ribs, slightly leaning against the hero who didn’t seem to mind. Blue and red lights flashed a few blocks ahead of them. He looked up to see Hizashi and Denki disappearing among the officers and cars.

“What’s going to happen to him?”

Sekijirou sighed.

“I don’t know. I’m almost certain Akashi was manipulating him, so he shouldn’t be facing any sort of punishment. I guess we’ll have to see how cooperative he is with the police before we make any decisions.” He looked down to Hitoshi with a grin. “Although, from the looks of it, he was the one to knock Akashi out. You were right, Shinsou. I think you coming for him was the push he needed to accept our help.”

Hitoshi shifted his gaze back down to the ground while he trudged along the sidewalk.

I really hope so….

*break*

Shouta hung up the phone and leaned back in his chair. Nemuri entered the room followed by a few officers that stopped just outside of the door. It only took one glance at him for her to move behind him and start rubbing his shoulders.

“Relax, Shouta. Kaminari will need you when he gets here. Besides, I doubt any of Akashi’s associates would risk walking straight into a police station, especially if he’d just been caught by police.”

That’s not our biggest concern right now….

Nemuri didn’t say another word. Shouta took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

Hizashi’s with Kaminari. They’re on their way to the station. Kan said they caught Akashi. Maybe Kaminari can get the help he needs, and we can finally get some answers….

Shouta perked up and his eyebrows furrowed. Nemuri’s hands stilled at the movement. Denki’s words from the previous night echoed in his mind.

“I’m sorry, Aizawa-sensei, but it’s bad enough you’re here. No one else needs to get involved in my mess. I’ve done enough to you…my fr-the other students…my mom. A villain like me doesn’t need help from heroes like you.”

“Shouta?”

“Have you ever looked at Kaminari’s file?” he asked.

Nemuri nodded.

“It didn’t say much. I know it says his mom passed away just over ten years ago and it had just been him and Akashi—”

“We need to get ahold of that autopsy report.” Nemuri opened her mouth, but Shouta didn’t pause for a second. “He implied that he did something to his mom. He called himself a villain who didn’t deserve help from us.”

Nemuri’s eyes widened.

“He should’ve developed his quirk around that time….”

She covered her mouth and shook her head as she trailed off. Shouta held up a hand.

“I don’t think it was an accident. I know Kaminari’s quirk can be fatal when he generates enough electricity, but when he was a child? With a dad whose quirk is electricity negation?”

The hand still on his shoulder gripped him tighter, sharp nails digging into his skin.

“You don’t think….”

Louder voices echoed in the hallway. Shouta immediately got up and peered out the door. His eyes widened when he saw Denki walking between two officers with Hizashi right behind him. Denki stopped, but the officers kept pushing him along.

“Let me talk to my student,” he ordered as he stepped into the group’s path.

“I’m afraid we can’t do that, Eraserhead,” one of the officers said, nudging him aside instantly. “He’s got information that can’t wait. Kaminari Akashi has several associates in Nagoya that we need to find immediately.”

They continued down the hall toward the only room with an open door. Shouta sped up until he was right on their heels.

“Can’t I—”

“No.”

“At least let me be in the room with him—”

The door slammed shut in his face. Hizashi leaned against the wall and slid down to the floor. He curled his hand into a fist, but his friend grabbed it before he could raise it.

“They won’t let us near him until they’re done with the interrogation. Might as well get comfortable. Kaminari’s been cooperative so far, but it’s still going to be a while. From what I heard, their chief is already on the phone with Chief Tsuragamae. We should be able to take him back to Musutafu once they’re done, but we’ll have to take him directly to the police station for further questioning.”

Shouta nodded. He took a seat against the wall opposite of Hizashi. Nemuri came to join them seconds later.

“Where’s Shinsou?” he asked.

Hizashi winced, and Shouta narrowed his eyes. Hizashi swallowed but spoke, nonetheless.

“Kan took him to see a medic. He’s probably got a couple broken ribs.”

“What the hell happened?”

Hizashi raised his hands when Shouta’s hair started to float.

“He used your capture weapon to get ahead of us and chase down Akashi’s car. He pulled Kaminari out of the car and they flew into a building. It looked like he took the worst of the impact.” Shouta took a deep breath, his hair settling back down on his shoulders. “Kan’s getting him checked out just to be safe. He’ll bring him back here if it’s nothing too serious. Recovery Girl should be able to patch him up once we get back.”

Shouta crossed his arms.

“I thought you two were supposed to watch him.”

Hizashi shrugged. The corner of his lip pulled up into a smirk.

“The kid’s fast. Besides, his friend was in trouble. I doubt Kan and I could’ve done anything to stop him, exactly like someone else I know.”

“Shut up.”

Nemuri snickered and plopped down next to Shouta. She didn’t move a muscle when Shouta let his head fall against her shoulder. The trio sat in the hallway, not saying a single word while the officers buzzed around them. Shouta couldn’t bother to look at his phone. He couldn’t get himself to care how much time had passed. He could only stare at the door.

I know these officers don’t know us like the Musutafu police do, but could they really not let me stay with him through the interrogation? Although, if he’s already cooperating, I can understand that they might not want any more distractions….

Nemuri gently nudged him with her shoulder. She pointed down the hallway when he lifted his head up. Despite the officers occupying most of the hallway, he could make out Sekijirou and Hitoshi making their way around the corner. Hizashi stood and waved them over, and the two slowly swerved in and out of the officers. Sekijirou carried Shouta’s capture weapon on one arm and kept the other around Hitoshi’s back as he patiently guided him through the crowd. Nemuri jumped up and grabbed Shouta’s arm to help him to his feet, but that didn’t stop him from nearly falling over when the room spun around him. Hizashi was at his side in an instant to steady him.

“Maybe when Akashi wakes up, we can find out what the hell he gave you,” he muttered. “I would’ve thought the effects from that drug would’ve worn off by now.”

He grinned at the two as they approached. Sekijirou tightened his arm around Hitoshi, keeping his upper body as still as possible. Shouta raised an eyebrow.

“How are your ribs?” Hitoshi opened his mouth, but Shouta already put a hand up. “Don’t even think about saying ‘you’re fine.’”

Hitoshi snapped his mouth shut and winced. Sekijirou shot him a brief glare before addressing his colleagues.

“We got a medic to check him over. He’s got one cracked rib and two completely broken. He’s not having any trouble breathing, so we got him some ice and barely got the pain medicine before he insisted on coming here. Considering he refused to wait in traffic and decided to walk here, he’ll have to take it easy for the next couple days, even after Recovery Girl heals him.”

Hitoshi shivered, so he dropped the ice packs he’d been clutching to his ribs. Shouta shrugged off the jacket Hizashi gave him, and Sekijirou moved just enough for him to drape it around Hitoshi’s shoulders.

“Thanks.” Hitoshi looked up to Sekijirou. “Sorry I….”

He trailed off when Sekijirou shook his head.

“Don’t be. I can’t say I blame you.” He nodded to the closed door. “I assume they’re already questioning him.”

“They’ve been in there for a couple hours,” Hizashi confirmed.

Shouta paled and checked his phone. He blinked when he saw the time.

Have we really been sitting here that long?

All eyes turned toward the door when it suddenly opened. One of the officers emerged.

“Kaminari’s given us all the details we need about his dad’s associates, at least everyone he had knowledge of. We have officers searching for the ones in Nagoya as we speak and we’re calling around to the other cities the rest might be hiding in. Kaminari Akashi still hasn’t woken up yet, so we can’t question him or transfer him back to Musutafu; however, after talking with Chief Tsuragamae, he has agreed to have your student escorted back to the Musutafu police department whenever you all are ready. We have officers willing to drive him, or we can arrange for the next train to leave as scheduled, and you all could go with him. We’d ask that a few of our officers ride in the same car with you, though.”

With a quick glance at his colleagues, Shouta nodded.

“We’d like to take him on the next train out of here.”

The officer turned back into the room and motioned with his hand. He stepped aside so Denki could trudge out of the room. He stiffened at the sight of his teachers and Hitoshi. Shouta took a few steps closer and crouched just enough to be eye-level with him.

“You’re coming with us back to Musutafu, Kaminari.”

Denki’s eyes widened.

“Are…a-are you sure—”

Shouta gripped his shoulders.

“I promised we would help you, and we will. We’re not letting you go back to Musutafu alone.”

Denki didn’t say another word. Instead, his bottom lip trembled. His shoulders shook underneath Shouta’s hands. Shouta barely caught a glimpse of the tear streaming down his cheek before he buried his face in his hands. Shouta didn’t hesitate to pull him closer. He didn’t say anything when Denki clutched his shirt. He didn’t care when he could feel it dampening. Hizashi joined them and rubbed Denki’s back. The other officer emerged from the room.

“We’ll get everyone ready to escort you to the train station. You’ll depart in just over an hour.”

Sekijirou, Nemuri, and Hitoshi followed him down the hall, leaving the two heroes alone with Denki who turned his head just enough for him to talk.

“What about my dad?”

“He still hasn’t woken up yet,” Hizashi said with a frown. “Did you want to see him?”

“No!” The hands gripping Shouta’s shirt clenched into fists. Denki’s breathing picked up. “I…I don’t want….”

He couldn’t even finish and practically collapsed against Shouta. Hizashi helped keep them both upright. Shouta tilted his head down just enough to ensure Denki could hear him.

“You don’t have to see him again if you don’t want to. I’ll personally make sure of that. He won’t manipulate you anymore.”

He barely heard the muffled “thank you” as the kid continued to cry.

*break*

It took every fiber in Hitoshi’s being to remain in his seat. As much as he tried not to, he couldn’t help but stare at the bench across from him. Shouta tried to stay awake as long as he could, but it only took a few minutes for him to drift off to sleep once the train started moving. His head fell on Hizashi’s shoulder. Denki was sprawled out across the bench with his head resting on Hizashi’s lap. The voice hero didn’t seem to mind, absentmindedly running a hand through Denki’s hair. Denki hadn’t stirred one bit since falling asleep.

What the hell happened to him?

Nemuri started to lean forward but jolted awake. She rubbed her eyes and checked her phone. She shot him a grin.

“We’ll be stopping any minute now.”

Hitoshi nodded. He glanced around the train car. None of the officers had spoken a word to them since they’d gotten on the train. To be fair, none of the heroes or students still awake felt like talking much at all.

He’s supposed to go straight to the police station when we get back, but what happens after that?

The train slowed and finally came to a stop. He could see Snipe and several officers already waiting for them on the platform. Nemuri slid an arm behind his back to help him to his feet; however, he couldn’t stop a grimace at the movement. Sekijirou followed a couple of the Nagoya officers out of the car, Nemuri and Hitoshi not trailing too far behind. They’d just stepped off the train when Snipe approached them.

“Nezu wants me to bring you two and Eraser back to campus right away.”

Nemuri glanced over her shoulder at the three getting out of their seats and chuckled under her breath.

“Good luck.”

“Wait in the car,” Snipe sighed, tossing her his keys. “I’ll talk to him.”

Nemuri guided him off the platform to the car. She opened the back door for him. He barely bit back a groan while he climbed into the back seat. She slid into the passenger seat a second later.

“What happens after the interrogations?” he asked.

Nemuri stiffened.

“I…I don’t know,” she admitted. “The only family Kaminari has is his dad. I would say he’d become a ward of Yuuei, but considering the circumstances, I honestly couldn’t tell you what’ll happen.”

Hitoshi’s stomach dropped. He let his head rest against the window. More people walked out of the train station. He perked up when he saw Sekijirou and Denki, but a couple officers directed them toward the police cars. Snipe headed to the car with Hizashi and Shouta on his heels, the latter two getting into the back seat. Once Shouta was settled in, he crossed his arms over his chest. Snipe jumped in and started the car. He glanced into the rearview mirror and shook his head.

“Eraser, you can see him after you’ve gotten some rest. Ectoplasm and All Might are covering your classes. The sooner you get back to campus and get rested up, the sooner Nezu will let you see him.”

Shouta slumped further down into his seat. Hizashi checked his phone.

“Recovery Girl is already in the infirmary expecting Shinsou. She said to drag you there if I have to, Sho’. You’ll be lucky if she doesn’t lock you in there.”

Hitoshi snorted and decided to ignore the glare Shouta sent his way. The car was quiet as Snipe drove through the streets. Hitoshi squinted a little when the sun started to rise. He rubbed his eyes and did his best to stifle a yawn.

It’s been a long night…and we don’t know what’ll happen next…but we’ve at least got Kaminari back.

Notes:

I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Thank you for all your support! Until next time!

Chapter 5

“Kaminari?”

Denki picked his head up from his folded arms and leaned back in his chair. He rubbed his eyes. Naomasa entered the room but didn’t return to the chair he’d been occupying for the last few hours. Instead, he stopped at Denki’s side.

“Sorry, Detective, I just—”

“We appreciate your cooperation. From what you’ve told us, this couldn’t have been easy for you. I know you must be tired. I’ve got a couch in my office if you’d like to get some rest. Present Mic can stay in there with you if you’d be more comfortable.”

Denki nodded.

“Thank you.”

He pushed back his chair and stood, needing to lean against the table when he realized how stiff his legs were. Denki blinked and rubbed his eyes again.

How long have we been at this?

Naomasa guided him out of the room. Hizashi was waiting for him just outside, still out of his hero costume. He offered Denki a small grin and put an arm around his shoulders. Naomasa led them down the hall and around a few corners before they arrived at his office. He opened the door and gestured for them to walk inside.

“Take as much time as you need.”

Naomasa closed the door, leaving the two alone. Hizashi patted Denki’s shoulder.

“Get some sleep. Vlad said you’ve been answering questions since the second you got here. Midnight didn’t even get to see you while she was here. I can’t imagine how exhausted you are.”

Denki’s gaze drifted to the window. Dark orange light filtered in through the blinds.

“Yeah,” he mumbled.

He plopped down on the couch and kicked his shoes off. He didn’t waste another second, laying down across the couch and closing his eyes. A soft creak echoed through the nearly silent office when Hizashi sat down.

“How’s Aizawa-sensei?” he couldn’t help but ask.

Not that you deserve to know.

A quiet chuckle answered him.

“He woke up an hour ago. He’s still tired, but that’s not exactly new. He’s been trying to get Recovery Girl to let him leave the infirmary.”

A grin spread across his face for a moment, but it disappeared just as fast.

“What about Shinsou?”

“His ribs are healed. He slept most of the day and started the work he missed the second he woke up. He’s been staying in the infirmary to stay away from your classmates.”

They’re not my classmates anymore….

Denki swallowed.

“How are the others taking….”

He couldn’t get himself to even finish the question. The chair creaked again, and he could sense Hizashi’s presence over him.

“We haven’t told them yet.”

Denki’s eyes flung open to find Hizashi smiling down on him.

“Why?”

“Nezu hasn’t come to an official decision yet,” Hizashi started. “An officer searched your dad’s phone and confirmed our suspicions that you were being manipulated. Once you moved into the dorms and were away from his influence, you didn’t give him any more information and ignored his calls. You’ve been fully cooperating with us. Nezu will talk with Chief Tsuragamae once all the interrogations are over to determine what we do next, and none of us see a reason to tell Class A until we come to a decision.”

Denki relaxed back against the couch.

“I see.”

Hizashi’s phone buzzed. He checked it, and his eyebrows shot up as he read the message.

“I guess Recovery Girl finally caved. Looks like Eraser will be here in a couple hours. Get some rest, Kaminari. I’m sure we’ll have some more questions that you’ll need to answer.”

Denki nodded and let his eyes close again. It only took a couple minutes for him to drift off to sleep.

*break*

“Slow down, Shouta!”

Shouta stopped for a moment with one foot on the steps leading up to the Musutafu police department and looked over his shoulder. Nemuri slammed the car door shut and raced to catch up with him. He continued up the steps. He reached for the door, but Nemuri had just beat him to it and opened it for him.

“Will you at least wait until I park the car next time?” she huffed.

Shouta rolled his eyes and entered the building.

“Did Tsukauchi get that autopsy report?” he asked.

Naomasa rounded the corner at the end of the hallway, perking up when he saw the two heroes. He motioned for them to follow him. Shouta strode ahead with Nemuri right on his heels. Naomasa fell in step with them once they reached him.

“I’ve got that report you requested, Eraser,” he said, leading them down the hall. “We got Kaminari Akashi transferred here, but he hasn’t answered any of our questions. He wants his son to be present for any interrogations.”

“You can’t be serious—” Shouta started, but Naomasa put a hand up.

“We haven’t even considered it. Denki’s been cooperating with us all day and is currently resting in my office. We haven’t told him about Akashi’s demands yet. It will be his decision, and we will respect it completely if he doesn’t want to see his dad again.”

Shouta let out a sigh. The three entered a room with a couple other officers already waiting. One of them was holding a file and handed it to Naomasa. A massive window gave them a view of Akashi sitting alone at a table with his hands cuffed in front of him. Shouta froze at the sight.

He’s smiling…how the hell can he be smiling? Is he really that confident that the police will give in to his demands? Whatever his reasoning is, Kaminari needs to stay the hell away from him.

Naomasa opened the file and flipped through a couple pages before pulling one of them out and holding it out to Shouta.

“Kaminari Mayumi’s body was found almost two hours away in Lake Ashi. The reports say she was on vacation with her friend, Kondo Aoi. Kondo called emergency services claiming Mayumi slipped off a rock, hit her head, and fell into the lake. When first responders arrived, she said she tried save Mayumi but she had sunk too low for her to find. It took hours of searching, but they ultimately recovered Mayumi’s body. Cause of death was determined to be blunt force trauma to the head, so even if Kondo had gotten there in time, it wouldn’t have made a difference.”

Shouta’s eyebrows scrunched together as he scanned the document.

“So, there are no signs of Mayumi being electrocuted?” Naomasa shook his head. “Kaminari implied he was responsible for his mom’s death.”

Naomasa looked back down at the file and flipped through a few more pages.

“I don’t see how. I doubted the cause of death at first, but after looking at the photos and seeing the rocks, I suppose it checks out if she fell hard enough.”

“But you don’t think that’s the case, do you?”

Naomasa looked up, met Shouta’s gaze, and shook his head again. A pair of hands slammed against the doorway. Everyone’s heads turned, and Shouta’s eyes widened when he saw Denki standing there, breathing heavily. His hair was sticking up on one side, and he wasn’t wearing any shoes. He yawned and took a couple steps into the room.

“I heard he won’t talk unless I’m there, so let’s get this over with,” he announced.

Denki headed to the door leading to the interrogation room, but Shouta moved in his way and gripped his shoulders.

“Kaminari, you don’t have to—”

“Please, sensei, I don’t want to put this off any longer. The police still need answers.”

“Sorry!” Hizashi apologized as he walked into view. He leaned against the door frame. “He heard a few officers talking and sprinted here before I could get up to stop him.”

Denki shrugged out of Shouta’s grip and made his way to the door. He paused in front of it, his hand just about to touch the handle.

“Would you like me to go in with you?” Shouta asked.

Denki nodded. Naomasa opened the door and motioned them both inside. Akashi smiled when Denki entered, but it faltered when Shouta trailed in right behind him. Denki crossed his arms and took a seat on the opposite side of the table. Akashi’s eyebrows furrowed until Shouta sat down next to him, then they rose so high they nearly disappeared into his hairline. Any traces of his smile completely vanished.

“I thought more of you, Denki.”

Denki didn’t say a word. Naomasa dragged another chair into the room and joined them, dropping a stack of files on the table.

“Denki was kind enough to comply with your request, so I hope you’ll keep your end of the deal?”

Shouta could’ve sworn he heard Akashi’s teeth grinding together. Akashi shifted his gaze to Denki before nodding.

“Denki has given us as much information as he had about your men, and we’re looking for them as we speak. Three have already been arrested in Nagoya.” Akashi’s eyes narrowed at his son. “We know you had more contacts than he was aware of, but we can discuss that later. We need to know how you got your contract with the League of Villains?”

Denki’s leg bumped into Shouta’s. Looking out of the corner of his eye, he could see his student clenching the fabric of his pants. His knuckles started turning white the longer Akashi spoke. He slipped his hand under the table and gripped one of Denki’s. Denki’s shoulders sagged at the contact despite Akashi’s gaze never leaving him while he answered the questions. Naomasa shut the file on top of the stack and set it aside.

“Was Denki aware of your intentions when you ordered him to cut off communication to the USJ and asked for his location during the training camp?” Naomasa asked.

Akashi shook his head, but the corners of his mouth curled up into a smile yet again.

“No, and if he did know I don’t think he would’ve cooperated. However, since you didn’t have any problems sharing information, Denki, I suppose it’s only fair for your teacher to know about your mom. She passed away just over ten years ago. Would you like to explain why?” Denki’s nails dug into Shouta’s hand. “You lost control of your quirk and electrocuted your mom. I tried to resuscitate her, but you did too much damage. There was nothing I could do.”

“It was an accident—"

“You’re lying.”

Akashi and Denki whipped their heads to Naomasa who smirked at the villain across from him. Akashi’s mouth opened, closed, then opened again.

“No, I’m not—”

“Do you really not remember that I made you completely aware of my quirk when I introduced myself when you arrived? Or did you think we wouldn’t comply with your request so it wouldn’t be a concern?” Akashi’s mouth snapped shut again. “I can tell when you’re lying, Akashi. I was going to question you about Mayumi later, but since you brought it up, I guess I can go ahead and ask about what exactly happened that day.”

Akashi swallowed. Shouta glanced at Naomasa before he grabbed Denki’s arm and stood up.

“Maybe we should wait….” he started but trailed off when Denki didn’t budge.

“No, I need to know,” Denki said.

Shouta sat back down, and Denki clutched his hand again. Akashi’s eye twitched, and his cuffed hands clenched into fists.

“Denki—”

“The autopsy report didn’t show any burns or blisters on Mayumi’s skin, so she wasn’t electrocuted. The cause of death was ultimately ruled as blunt force trauma to the head.” Akashi stiffened. “You wouldn’t happen to know anything about that, would you?”

Akashi stared at the table. He inhaled deeply through his nose. Denki clutched Shouta’s hand harder.

“She was one of my partners. She understood the business and she rarely questioned my decisions. I never wanted to hurt her. I wouldn’t have, but when Denki’s quirk manifested, she tried to take him and leave.”

“She didn’t want you using your son in your contracts?” Naomasa assumed.

Akashi shook his head. Denki started trembling.

“I couldn’t let her go. One night, I came home early and found her packing a bag. She was going to take Denki away from me.”

Akashi stopped speaking after that. The room was silent. Shouta winced as Denki’s grip became nearly unbearable, but he didn’t pull away or utter a complaint. Naomasa broke the silence.

“What happened after that?” Akashi didn’t answer. Naomasa raised his voice. “What happened after that, Akashi?”

Akashi finally looked up from the table and back at his son.

“You had so much potential, Denki. You need to understand I did what was best for you.”

Denki let go of Shouta’s hand and stood up, his palms slamming against the table.

“What did you do to mom?” he screamed.

“I had to get rid of her. She didn’t want this life for you, and she wouldn’t have stopped until—”

Akashi never got to finish because Denki reached out and bashed his head against the table. Shouta wrapped his arms around Denki and tried to drag him out of the room, knocking over the chairs in his efforts.

“You killed her!”

Shouta’s chest ached at the wail coming from his student, but he didn’t relinquish his grip as Denki struggled. Hizashi opened the door to the room for him, and the other officers parted for them to get through. Nemuri led them down the hallway and gave them a clear path to Naomasa’s office. Denki’s struggles grew weaker the further they made it down the hall. Once in the office, Shouta sat him down on the couch and gripped his shoulders. Denki’s hands were trembling. His breathing was shaky.

“Kaminari, what do you need right now?”

He wouldn’t make eye contact. His hands shook even more.

“Can I be alone?”

It was so soft Shouta almost didn’t hear it. He reluctantly let go of Denki’s shoulders and took a few steps back.

“Of course.”

Denki moved to lay across the couch while Shouta left. He closed the office door, clenching his eyes shut and leaning back against it at the muffled sobs that followed.

*break*

Denki sat on the couch with his knees drawn up to his chest. He rubbed his eyes. His cheeks were sticky, but he couldn’t get himself to care.

At least I’ve finally stopped crying.

Someone knocked on the door to Naomasa’s office. It cracked open, and Shouta peeked into the room.

“Can I come in?”

Denki nodded. He straightened up when Shouta entered the office and pulled up a chair to sit across from him.

“It took a lot of convincing on Chief Tsuragamae’s part, but we’ve reached a decision on how to move forward.” Denki stiffened. “For the time being, you’re a ward of Yuuei. Due to the fact that Akashi’s actions impacted the staff and students of Class 1-A, we’re telling them the truth; however, we’re presenting them with all the evidence we have of your cooperation and the recording from this interrogation. Only with your permission, of course. We’ll then let Class 1-A decide if you remain in the hero course. If not, we’ll arrange for you to either transfer to another department or to another school of your choosing if you would like. You’ll be staying at Yuuei in the teacher’s dorms until your classmates make their decision.”

It took Denki a second to register that his mouth was hanging open.

“You…y-you’re not expelling me?”

Shouta shook his head.

“No. You don’t have any other relatives, so it’s only logical that you stay with us.”

“After what I did—”

“You only did what your dad asked you to do.”

“But I should’ve known….”

Denki’s voice cracked, and Shouta joined him on the couch.

“He’s your dad. Kids should be able to trust their parents, and he took advantage of that. He did everything he could to make sure you thought you couldn’t be a hero. You had no reason not to believe him. You shouldn’t be punished for that.”

Denki leaned against him, so Shouta didn’t hesitate to wrap an arm around his back.

“Thank you, sensei.”

He couldn’t stop the yawn that followed. Shouta stiffened.

“Do you want me to leave so you can get some sleep? Midnight’s wrapping a few things up, but we should be taking you back to campus in a couple hours.”

Denki wrapped his arms around Shouta’s waist, clinging on so tight he was pretty sure it was hard for the hero to breathe.

“Please stay,” he whispered.

Shouta leaned back against the couch. Denki relaxed his grip and closed his eyes.

“Of course.”

Denki fell asleep within seconds.

Notes:

Well, there's only one more chapter to wrap up this little tale! I sincerely hope you've enjoyed the journey so far! Until next time!

Chapter 6

Denki stretched out on the bed and clasped his hands behind his head. He closed his eyes and would’ve willed himself to fall asleep, but he’d already slept most of the day away. He sighed and sat back up. It took more restraint than he was willing to admit to not look at the clock with each passing minute.

It’s only been a day. It’ll take time for them to make a decision. Staring at the clock won’t make the week pass any faster. At least Mic-sensei will be back in the evening. It really was nice of him to let me stay in the spare room of his apartment.

Staring out the window, he could see students trickling out of the school and scattering across the campus. He then looked over to the stack of comics Shouta had brought from his dorm. He hadn’t even touched them. He hadn’t even left the bed that day except to open the curtains when he woke up a couple hours ago. He barely touched the food Hizashi had brought him from the cafeteria and left on the nightstand, getting nauseous after taking a few bites. He decided to try again and reached for it when there was a knock on his door.

Mic-sensei must’ve finished up early.

He stood up and tried to straighten out his shirt and fix his hair to look a bit more presentable.

“Come in,” he called.

His jaw dropped when Katsuki entered the room, and he sat back down on the edge of the bed. Katsuki closed the door behind him, leaning back against it and crossing his arms. Denki’s eyes couldn’t help but wander to the folder in his hand. His heart sunk.

However, Katsuki didn’t say a word.

Instead, he stared daggers into the floor. His jaw clenched so hard a vein popped out at his temple. They both remained silent for a few more minutes. Denki’s heart pounded against his chest. It was a miracle Katsuki couldn’t hear it. Denki rubbed a hand down his face.

I shouldn’t have gotten my hopes up. How could I go back to class after—

“Your dad’s a real dick.”

Denki lifted his head and blinked. Katsuki finally met his gaze, his eyes ablaze. It was almost unnoticeable, but his shoulders were shaking. Denki blinked again.

“What?”

The folder in Katsuki’s hand crumpled. His teeth clenched. The vein sticking out near his temple was even more prominent.

“What…what kind of villain could kill his wife…and convince his son that he did it for years…so he would never have hope to become a hero?” Denki paled. Katsuki winced. “Sorry. I’m just…I’m sorry.”

Denki looked back down to the floor.

“It’s fine—”

“It sure as hell isn’t. No one deserves to suffer through what you did, Kaminari.”

Denki’s head shot back up. He couldn’t help but crack a grin.

“I think that’s the first time you’ve used my name, Bakugou.”

Katsuki tensed and dropped the folder, barely catching it before it fell to the ground.

“Don’t think much of it,” he muttered. He took a few steps forward and held out the folder to Denki. “Aizawa-sensei said we had the whole week, but we came to a unanimous decision immediately once he showed us the evidence. Everyone seemed to think it would be best for me to tell you that we want you to stay in the hero course.”

Denki’s jaw dropped, but he reached out and took the folder.

“Are you guys sure?”

Katsuki nodded without any hesitation. The corner of his lip curled up into a smirk.

“In my opinion, a shitty dad is a pretty good hero origin story.” He nodded toward the folder. “The extras wrote some letters to you. We weren’t sure if you were up to talking much, so everything they want to say is in there. You probably want some space right now, but we’ll be waiting at the dorms whenever you’re ready to come back.”

Katsuki turned to leave and opened the door.

“Thank you.”

Neither of them acknowledged the crack in Denki’s voice. Instead, Katsuki spared him a glance over his shoulder.

“Don’t mention it.”

Katsuki closed the door behind him, and Denki took a deep breath before pulling out the letters.

*break*

Hizashi led him through the empty hallways toward Nezu’s office. Denki stopped when he turned the corner and saw the door at the end of the hall. Hizashi spun around on his heel at the lack of footsteps behind him. He smiled before slinging an arm around Denki’s shoulders.

“Relax, listener. Nezu just needs some help with some paperwork he has to finish up since you’re staying with us. No need to be nervous.”

Denki mustered a grin but didn’t say anything the rest of the walk to the office. Hizashi knocked before entering and holding the door open for Denki. Nezu perked up when he walked in. He froze when he saw Shouta sitting on the couch across from Nezu’s desk.

“Good to see you, Kaminari! Thank you for coming. We’re about to wrap up here. We just need to update you on some things and get a few signatures from you.”

He motioned for Denki to sit on the couch next to Shouta who handed him a file the second he sat down. Before the other two could utter another word, he couldn’t help but ask the first question that came to mind.

“What’s going to happen to my dad?”

“He’s heading straight to Tartarus as soon as the police track down the rest of his men,” Shouta answered.

Denki slumped against the couch and buried his face in his hands. A weight lifted from his chest, and he took a deep breath.

“Aizawa’s right. He won’t be bothering you ever again, Kaminari.” Denki sat back up and nodded, so Nezu continued. “This actually brings us to why we called you here. You’re currently a ward of Yuuei. However, that won’t remain for long.”

Denki opened the file, eyes widening at the first page within.

Are these adoption papers?

A quick scan of the document confirmed his thoughts. He froze when he turned the page and saw the signature. He looked to Shouta, although the hero was blurry.

“Aizawa has decided to go ahead and adopt you as long as you’re comfortable with—”

Nezu couldn’t finish when Denki launched himself across the couch and wrapped his arms around his waist. The tears welling in his eyes streamed down his cheeks. Shouta didn’t protest the action, instead returning Denki’s embrace. Denki turned his head just enough for him to speak.

“Are you serious?”

Shouta moved a hand up from Denki’s back to rest on his head.

“Absolutely.”

That was all Denki needed to bury his face back into Shouta’s chest, the tears quickly soaking into Shouta’s hero costume; however, Shouta couldn’t get himself to care and only tightened his grip on the kid in his arms.

“I’m going to take that as a ‘yes,’” Nezu assumed with a grin. “As soon as you two are done with the paperwork, I’ll personally see to that it gets processed as quickly as possible.”

*break*

Denki hefted his backpack higher up on his shoulder. He could only guess his classmates were already in the classroom. He hadn’t run into any of them in the hallway. He looked around at the other students hustling to class around him. None of them gave him a second glance.

It seems like the other students don’t know a thing. Could this just stay within the staff and first year hero course?

He shook his head. If the fact that his dad had put him up to being a mole for the League of Villains did get out, he supposed he would have to figure out what to do later.

With his classmates by his side.

He stopped in front of the massive door to Class 1-A. He swallowed.

“Want me to walk in with you?”

He looked to Hitoshi when he stopped right by his side. He shot Hitoshi a grin and rubbed the back of his neck.

“Would you mind?” he asked.

A hand clamped down on his shoulder. Shouta stood right behind the two students.

“How about we all walk in together?” he suggested, unable to stop the slight grin when Denki’s own morphed into a blinding smile. “Ready?”

Denki nodded, letting Shouta guide him and Hitoshi through the door.

Notes:

Well, that's a wrap on this story! It's strange for me to think it's already finished. I hope you all enjoyed it and thank you all so much for your kudos and comments! I've got a lot in the works as far as fanfic goes, so I'll be around. Quite a bit. Maybe a little too much. Also, feel free to follow and chat with me on tumblr. I'm always down to chat about headcanons and fanfic!

Until next time,

alightintheshadows